How Isaac Asimov became the most famous and wealthy science fiction writer in the world. Detailed biography

Isaac Yudovich Azimov. Born on January 2, 1920 in the village of Petrovichi, Shumyachsky district, Smolensk region, RSFSR (Russia). Died in New York on April 6, 1992.

Who is this?

First of all, Isaac Asimov is an American science fiction writer. During his 72 year life he wrote almost 500 books. Agree, incredible performance. And these are not only books in the science fiction genre, he also wrote about the Bible, about Literature, and, of course, about Science. The writer himself was a biochemist by training, and therefore, like any scientist, he loved science very much and, moreover, knew how to write about it in simple language. More than half of his books are non-fiction. So he can be called a successful popularizer of science.

But the writer not only productively wrote a large number of books, he wrote them very well, having perfectly mastered this skill. This is proven by numerous various awards in English literature. Asimov became a multiple winner of the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards. And some of his works won 3 awards at once.

The author is also famous for the fact that in his works he came up with how a person and a robot should interact, introducing into the basis of the work of the brain of robots, the so-called three laws of robotics, which almost everyone has heard of at least once. In those days, people were afraid of robots, and in various works they were evil. As for Asimov, they are kind and “deeply decent,” unlike people. Asimov generally had an extremely positive outlook on life.

His works also contain such new concepts as “robotics”, “positronic” (about the robot’s brain) and “psychohistory” (the science of predicting the behavior of large masses from the “Foundation” series). These new words have become firmly established in many languages ​​of the world.

Birth story

As Azimov himself claims, his real name is Isaac Yudovich Ozimov. However, all of his relatives who remained in the USSR are Asimovs.

The future writer was born near Smolensk on the territory of the USSR (then still the RSFSR) into a Jewish family in 1920. The exact date of birth is unknown due to the difference between the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars, but Asimov himself preferred to celebrate his birthday on January 2. He did not know Russian; his family spoke Yiddish (the Jewish language of the Germanic group). In 1923, his parents emigrated with him to the United States, fleeing the revolution, where they settled in Brooklyn, a borough of New York.

Education

Talented since childhood

Isaac learned to read when he was not even 5 years old, and at the age of 7 he was already a regular visitor to the library. He read a lot. He went to school at the age of 5, and impressed everyone so much with his abilities that he was able to skip classes and complete the entire school course at the age of 15 with all sorts of differences.

After receiving secondary education, at the request of his parents, he tried to become a doctor. But Isaac realized that this was not for him, he was afraid of blood, he felt bad. And instead, he tried to enter the most prestigious college, Columbia University. But he didn’t pass the interview and entered a junior college in Brooklyn.

But a year later this college was closed, and Azimov ended up at Columbia University, but not as a student, but as a free listener. But already in 1939, at the age of 19, he received a bachelor's degree, and in 1941 he became a master's degree in chemistry.

From 1942 to 1945 he worked as a chemist at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. After which he served in the army until 1946.

After the army in 1948, he returned to study and completed graduate school, receiving a doctorate in chemistry. And the next year he got a job as a teacher at Boston University School of Medicine, where he first became an assistant professor in 1951, then an associate professor in 1955, and was promoted to professor in 1979.

Love for work

Even during his school years, Azimov was instilled with a love of work. When the family's second son, Stanley, was born, Isaac had to help his father. Every day at six in the morning he got up and went to deliver newspapers. And after school he ran home and stood behind the counter until late. The Azimovs then had their own confectionery shop, which was bought by their father. If he saw Isaac being late from school or reading a book, he immediately accused him of laziness. Thus, the habit of work remained with the writer for the rest of his life. In his autobiography he wrote:

I worked ten hours, seven days a week, all of which time I spent in the shop. Even when circumstances forced me to leave for a couple of minutes, the question began to torment me: Lord, what’s it like in the shop?

Because of this, the writer was deprived of communication with his peers, did not make friends, including with girls, and this continued for quite a long time. But the lack of communication was later more than made up for. Later, as a guest at numerous conferences, he was a lover of flirting with women, and was as good at it as he was at everything else.

By the way, it was then, in the shop, that the future science fiction writer became acquainted with science fiction (SF). He was 9 years old when SF magazines began appearing on the shelves of the store. The father considered such reading inappropriate for his son, but later Isaac managed to convince his father that since the word “science” was in the magazine “Science Wonder Stories”, then the content must be useful.

Career and path to world fame

In 1938, his favorite SF magazine was Astounding, to which he often sent letters. And it was there that he sent his first story, and went there in person, without entrusting this matter to the mail. The story was rejected, but the magazine's editor-in-chief, 28-year-old John W. Campbell, a living legend in the flesh for Isaac, devoted an entire hour to talking with the eighteen-year-old boy. And gave him some advice. The next two stories were also rejected, but four months later he sent his third story to another magazine, “Amazing Stories,” which was accepted and Asimov received his first fee - $64. Campbell only accepted Asimov's sixth story, which won third place in the magazine's reader vote, beating even some generally recognized masters.

Later in 1940, everything Asimov wrote was published somewhere. Years later, he tried to thank Campbell for his help, but he did not accept it, saying that he had given advice to hundreds of young writers, but how many of them became Asimov?

Interestingly, because of Campbell, Asimov completely abandoned aliens in his works. The fact is that the editor’s views were such that he did not believe in the equality of people and also believed that a person would beat all sorts of “aliens” out there, and often the stories were rewritten by the editors after the purchase. And some were not accepted at all. As a consequence, in the Foundation Universe, the entire galaxy is populated exclusively by humans. But the stories about robots talked about the relationship between man and machine, and the theme of people's superiority over someone else made no sense.

By the way, it was Campbell who helped formulate the three laws of robotics, and Asimov ceded the authorship to him, and even later dedicated the collection “I, Robot” to him. Campbell himself said that he only got them from Asimov’s stories.

In 1941, the famous story “The Coming of Night” was written, which many years later became a full-fledged novel. And it was in this year that Asimov came up with the idea of ​​stories about the Galactic Empire, by analogy with the Roman Empire, about its life and fall. The first story was called “Foundation” and was received with restraint, but the second and subsequent ones did not fall below second place in the reader vote.

In 1942, there was a war and Campbell introduced Asimov to another famous science fiction writer, Robert Heinlein, who was then serving in the Army and Navy in Philadelphia, where he received an invitation to the position of chemist, where he received a good salary. But in 1946, Azimov was called up for regular service in the army, as a private. Where he was a clerk in a unit preparing to test a nuclear bomb in the Pacific Ocean. And yet, until 1945, Isaac wrote several more stories in the “Foundation” universe, for which he received good fees.

When he returned to Columbia University, he continued to work on his dissertation and discovered his strong teaching skills. And in 1948, he first tried his hand at journalism and, to the writer’s surprise, the article was a great success, especially among chemists, which even helped him when applying for his doctorate.

In 1949, he wrote his last story in the Foundation series, ending the series (for 32 years). And then he received a contract to publish his first book - the novel “Pebble in the Sky”.

The publisher liked the novel and the sequels were subsequently published: “Stars Like Dust” and “Cosmic Currents”. He was also approached to publish a series of fiction for teenagers, which could become the basis for a television series. Since Asimov did not like any television program of this kind, he did not want anything like this to be associated with him, and for the only time in his career he was published under the pseudonym Paul French.

Other publishing houses also showed interest in Asimov, and a collection of his stories about robots was published in one book, “I, Robot,” and then the entire “Foundation” series in three volumes. This series became the most popular of Asimov's books, and still sells millions of copies.

In 1952, a popular science book for teenagers, “The Chemistry of Life,” opened a new path in his career. And it was followed by other books on a similar topic. Here is what Asimov writes about this:

One day, when I came home, I admitted to myself that I like to write journalism... Not just with knowledge of the matter, not just to make money - but much more than that: with pleasure...

In 1954, Asimov was offered to write a novel about robots, which he did not want to do, because he only wrote stories about them, but he was given the idea of ​​​​writing a detective novel, knowing his love for this genre. This is how one of the writer’s best novels, “Steel Caves,” appeared, which became the beginning of a new series of novels about robots. Few people have managed to successfully combine a detective story with science fiction, and Asimov is one of the few who did it perfectly.

In 1958, Azimov retired from teaching and began to engage only in writing. At this point, he already had a bunch of publishers who wanted to work with him. And he began to write journalism, which then brought him more money than science fiction. This is because it was possible to write more for journalism and use already accumulated material. All this captivated the writer so much that he decided to become the best popularizer of science in the world. In the same year, he was offered to write a permanent column in the magazine “Fantasy and Science Fiction”, which he wrote all his life, writing 399 articles there.

• "The Intelligent Man's Guide to Science" ("Guide to Science for an Intelligent Man") 1960
• "Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology" ("Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology", 1964)

He was also interested in history, writing about ancient Greece, Egypt and the Roman Empire. And even, being an atheist, he wrote about the Bible.

By the early seventies, having written a hundred books, he was already considered the best popularizer of science in the world, he was well received everywhere, in all universities, where he sometimes lectured, in all publishing houses, at conventions and parties. He was a ladies' man and loved to flirt with pretty women at various events. He also used this reputation in his books: ("Lustful Old Man", 1971) and "Lecherous Limericks" ("Lecherous Limericks", 1975)

Asimov became a literary phenomenon, a very extraordinary personality, and a recognized genius. He was sure that everyone should be interested in the same thing as he was, in everything he said, wrote and thought. And perhaps he was right. Everyone knew about him. Any book or magazine with his name was doomed to success. Each new Asimov book helped sell his other books, expanding his fan base. And he already wrote very easily.

He also did not give up science fiction; he compiled numerous anthologies.

And in 1972 he began writing science fiction novels again. Having returned beautifully, having released the best novel, according to critics, “The Gods Themselves,” which took all possible awards.

Further, in honor of his name and with his consent, a new science fiction magazine “Asimov’s” was opened, which, by the way, is successfully published to this day. There he was not the editor-in-chief, but wrote only a small column. But he promised that as soon as there was something sci-fi for the magazine format, they would have it.

By 1982, he returned to the Foundation series, releasing a sequel, Foundation Crisis, written specifically in the style of 30 years earlier, the novel was received exceptionally well.

In 1984, the writer had already published two hundred books. And all his subsequent novels become bestsellers:

Asimov is turning into a very rich writer, if before he wrote a lot of journalism, including for financial reasons, now each of his new science fiction novels brings him more than ten popular science books. His face becomes recognizable, he is the first of the writers to appear on television and in commercials. He supports many aspiring authors with his name, gives away ideas, and by this time money and fame no longer interested him, and he did not have mansions or yachts, but only a typewriter and a quiet room with curtained windows.

Towards the end of his life, in collaboration with Robert Silverberg, he reworked three of his famous stories into the novels Nightfall, Bicentennial Man and The Ugly Boy.

And in the spring of 1993, after the writer’s death, his last book “I, Asimov” was published - the third volume of his autobiography, which he dictated to his wife in the hospital.

Personal life

In 1942, on Valentine's Day, on a blind date, he met his future wife, Gertrud Blugerman. And a few months later, on July 26, they got married. At that time, Asimov lived in Philadelphia and worked as a chemist in the navy. Then, after the service, they went to live in Boston in 1949. They had two children, a son, David (1951), and a daughter, Robin Joan (1955). But it so happened that their marriage slowly fell apart over the decades. They eventually separated in 1970 and officially divorced three years later on November 16, 1973. The divorce was painful, including from a financial point of view - it cost the writer 50 thousand dollars (at that time this was a lot of money). In his autobiography, he took the blame entirely on himself, saying that he could not be called a good husband, that he was selfish and was only concerned with his books.

Almost immediately after the divorce, he married Janet Opill Jeppson (November 30, 1973), a psychiatrist whom he met at the New York World Convention back in 1956. He will stay with her. Janet Asimov would later help publish several of his books after his death, including his final autobiography.

How did the writer die?

Back in 1977, Azimov suffered a stroke, and in 1983 he underwent successful heart surgery. But later it turned out that the blood donor was HIV infected. The writer hid about this disease because it could have a negative impact on him and his family; then there was discrimination against HIV-infected people in society. After death, the family decided not to disclose the true cause of death, because at that time, one famous American tennis player spoke about his illness, which he also received after surgery, and this caused a lot of discussion in society. The doctors insisted on secrecy. Ten years later, when most of Asimov's doctors were no longer alive, Janet Asimov published the real cause of death in one of the editions of his last autobiography.

Asimov himself said that he hoped to die by falling face first onto a typewriter keyboard. And in one of the interviews, when he was asked what he would do if he was told that he had six months to live, he replied “I will type faster.” But he spent his last weeks in hospital and was kept alive by medications. And on April 6, 1992, Isaac Asimov left us. According to his will, the body was cremated and the ashes were scattered.

The front pages of many newspapers wrote about his death. And two weeks later, CNN released a retrospective program about his career and life. Before this, this was done only for politicians and movie stars. National Radio aired his 1988 interview, and his own words became his obituary.

For the first time, the whole world mourned the passing of a science fiction writer.

It is said that his last words were:

It was a good life

Was it interesting? Tell your friends about Asimov.

Years of life: from 01/02/1920 to 04/06/1992

Legendary American science fiction writer, one of the geniuses of the 20th century. Author of about 500 books, mostly fiction (primarily in the genre of science fiction, but also in other genres: fantasy, detective, humor) and popular science (in a variety of areas - from astronomy and genetics to history and literary criticism).

Isaac Asimov (real name Isaac Ozimov) was born on January 2, 1920 in Russia, in Petrovichi, a town located very close to Smolensk. His parents, Judah and Anna, immigrated to the States in 1923, bringing Isaac and his younger sister with them. The family settled in Brooklyn, where the father bought a candy store in 1926. The family devoted quite little time to religious education, and Isaac early became an atheist - which he never hid or imposed on anyone. In 1928, Asimov's father achieved naturalization, which meant that Isaac also became a US citizen. After receiving secondary education, Azimov, at the request of his parents, tried to become a doctor. This turned out to be beyond his strength: the sight of blood made him feel sick. Then Isaac made an attempt to enter the most prestigious college of Columbia University, but did not make it past the interview, writing in his autobiography that he was talkative, unbalanced and did not know how to make a good impression on people. He was accepted into Seth Low Junior College in Brooklyn. A year later, this college closed and Asimov ended up at Columbia University - however, as a simple student, and not a student at an elite college. On July 25, 1945, Isaac Asimov married Gertrude Bluegerman, whom he had met several months earlier.

Among the writer’s most famous works are the novels “Caves of Steel” (1954), “The End of Eternity” (1955), “The Naked Sun” (1957), “The Gods Themselves” (1972), the grand cycle “Foundation” (or “Academy”, 1963-1986), as well as a series of stories in which the famous three laws of robotics were first formulated.

It is alleged that Isaac Asimov came up with the idea for the Foundation series (Academy) while sitting on the subway when his eye accidentally fell on a picture depicting a Roman legionnaire with a background of starships. Allegedly, it was after this that Asimov decided to describe the galactic empire from the point of view of history, economics, psychology and sociology.

According to rumors, the novel Foundation (Academy) made a huge impression on Osama bin Laden and even influenced his decision to create the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. Bin Laden likened himself to Hari Seldon, who controls the society of the future through pre-planned crises. Moreover, the title of the novel when translated into Arabic sounds like Al Qaida and, thus, could be the reason for the origin of the name of bin Laden's organization.

• From Petrovichi to New York
• An unusual child
• About the science of the past and future
• Geniuses work in silence

Isaac Asimov lived a fairly calm life, without major upheavals, but, as he himself said, “this was compensated by the charming literary style” inherent in him. The author, who does not have false modesty, believed that his books did not create a sensation, although here one can disagree with Asimov - the books did not bring people to the streets, did not provoke revolutions, but they pulled in and absorbed readers, they stunned. The author’s unbridled imagination, the fullness and plausibility of the worlds he invented, as well as the simplicity with which the writer explained complex scientific terms.

Success story, Biography of Isaac Asimov

From Petrovichi to New York

Despite the fact that Isaac Asimov was born in Russia, in the village of Petrovichi, Smolensk region, he was neither Russian nor Russian. He did not know the exact date of birth; he chose January 2, 1920 as such a day, celebrating his name day on the second day of the New Year. He didn’t know Russian either; it was customary in the family to speak Yiddish; although parents Yuda Aronovich and Anna-Rakhil Isaakovna used Russian in conversations that they did not want to involve their children in. From the age of three, Azimov already lived among Americans - in 1923 the family emigrated to the USA, and five years later the Azimovs received citizenship.

Life in Russia in the post-revolutionary years was extremely difficult: lack of food, epidemics - a situation on the brink of survival, and Isaac was a tiny baby - a little more than two kilograms at birth, so his parents did not have much hope that he would survive. But he was not only resilient, but was the only surviving child in the area when a pneumonia epidemic broke out there. Fleeing the new revolutionary reality, the Asimovs decided to emigrate to the United States when Anna-Rakhil's brother, who had already settled in New York, offered them help.

An unusual child

The Asimovs lived very poorly in Brooklyn until they used the money they saved to open their own business - a candy store. Isaac learned to read and speak English before Yuda Aronovich: he asked his older schoolchildren friends to show them the letters, and then began to read all the signs in a row: “When my father discovered that his preschooler son could read and, moreover, learned it on his own initiative, he was amazed. This was probably the first time he began to suspect that I was an unusual child. (He thought this way all his life, which did not stop him from criticizing me without hesitation for my many mistakes.) And since my father thought that I was unusual, his understanding gave me a reason to think about my unusualness myself. . Indeed, Isaac considered himself a child prodigy.

He studied well and showed his “ego the size of the Empire State Building” (a 102-story skyscraper on the island of Manhattan), admiring both his strengths and weaknesses. Among his innate abilities were an almost photographic memory, a quick mind, and quick wit. Asimov understood everything quickly and thoroughly. He did not think of hiding his brilliant mind from his classmates, and because he showed off, and at the same time he was weak and the youngest in the class, he became a “scapegoat.” Only with age did Asimov learn not to put himself in the foreground, but he no longer needed to assert himself - he proved his unusualness with a large number of books written on completely different topics, becoming one of the most famous science fiction writers.

A candy store is a cradle for a science fiction writer

Isaac Asimov's first job was in his father's candy store. The store worked 16 hours a day, seven days a week, and it was there that Asimov learned what a daily routine was and how to live according to it. Working in the store made him disciplined throughout his life - having already become a famous writer, Asimov began the day at 6 in the morning so that at 7.30 he could already be sitting at work on a new book.

In addition to confectionery, the store sold magazines with science fiction stories, where the future science fiction author first learned what science fiction is. He read magazines voraciously, and at the age of 11 he wrote his first science fiction story. A passionate reader, he wrote down the story to read himself, and at 16 received his first typewriter as a gift from his father. It was second-hand, but it gave 18-year-old Isaac the opportunity to publish his first story, which he submitted to the magazine. The editor did not accept the first opus, but the second story, “Captured by Vesta,” was published in the magazine five months later - October 21, 1938 - Asimov remembered this date for the rest of his life, and he also remembered the fee - $64 for a story of 6,400 words.

“Luck smiled on me because at birth I received an efficient brain that works tirelessly. He is able to think clearly and turn thoughts into words. There is absolutely no merit in this. I got a lucky ticket by winning the genetic sweepstakes."

Transformation of zoologist into writers

By the time the story was first published, Azimov had already graduated from high school and entered college. Asimov's initial major in college was zoology, but after refusing to dissect a stray cat, he switched to the chemistry department. His career in science was successful: 1941 - master's degree in chemistry, 1948 - doctorate in biochemistry. In a 7-year span, Asimov worked for three years as a chemist at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where his colleague was another future celebrity, Robert Heinlein. Within a few decades, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke would be called the “Big Three” science fiction writers.

After World War II, Asimov enlisted in the army, where he rose to the rank of corporal thanks to his proficiency with a typewriter, and in 1946 he narrowly avoided participating in nuclear bomb tests at Bikini Atoll.

During the decade following his doctorate, Isaac Asimov worked at Boston University School of Medicine and wrote novels, and in 1958 he decided to be only a writer - by then his royalties already exceeded the salary of a scientist. He stopped lecturing on a regular basis, but continued to be friends with the University: “Every year I give a lecture that opens the biochemistry course. Free, of course. This is some introduction that I try to make interesting. Both secretaries and students attend this lecture. I hope they like it, I certainly do.”.

About the science of the past and future

Isaac Asimov's career as a novelist began in 1950 and ended in 1958 with the release of the science fiction novel The Naked Sun. His first novel was 1950's A Grain of Sand in the Sky, but a year earlier, a professor of biochemistry at Boston University, he and his colleagues had written a college textbook, Biochemistry and Human Metabolism, which went through three editions. It was then that Asimov realized that he could explain scientific information well - step by step, in accessible language. And if he can explain science, then he can also explain the Bible, and history, and everything in the world! Therefore, gradually the number of science fiction books written by Asimov decreased, and the number of popular science works increased, but in 1982 he returned to fiction and published the novel “Academy on the Edge of Death.” The novel was included in the “Foundation” cycle, the names of which, translated into Russian, have different versions “Academy”, “Foundation”, “Foundation”, and received a Hugo Award for it in 1983 and a nomination for the Nebula Award in 1982. Over the next 10 years until his death, Asimov published several more backstories and sequels to existing novels, tying them into a single, fascinating story.

The writer believed that his most striking contribution to literature and science was the “Foundation” cycle, as well as the three laws of robotics, which the writer formulated gradually, introducing them in different stories, which he later combined into the collection “I, Robot.”

However, Asimov was modest in this. The Oxford English Dictionary credits Isaac Asimov with inventing the words "positronic brain", "psychohistory" and "robotics", although the writer argued that "robotics" is a common derivation of the word "robot", similar to the words "mechanics" and "hydraulics".

Geniuses work in silence

There were two signs hanging on the door of Isaac Asimov's office: “Keep quiet, please” and “Genius at work.” Silence was a prerequisite for Asimov; he was undoubtedly a workaholic and needed a lot of concentration. The immodest Asimov did not agree with the word “genius”: “I am one of the most versatile writers in the world, and the greatest popularizer of many disciplines.” . Indeed, from the study of the Bible and the consequences of the development of various fields of science to Shakespeare and the history of France - such is the range of Asimov's books.

Was he the most prolific writer in the world? Asimov himself answered: “No, there are other authors, the most famous of them is Georges Simenon, but he only writes novels.” . Indeed, among the books of the French writer there is no work entitled “Introduction to the use of the slide rule”, “The energy of life. From spark to photosynthesis”, “The building material of the Universe: The entire Galaxy in the periodic table”, and Asimov has it. The average volume of Asimov's book is 70,000 words, the number of books is about 500, it turns out that he wrote 35 million words for his books alone - but volume and quantity are not the most important thing in a writer's work - “And the best part is that everything I write gets published.”.

For his 65th birthday, Isaac Asimov not only did not slow down, he began to write even faster than before. His first 100th book, which was published in January 1950, took the writer 237 months, that is, almost 20 years. He worked on the 200th book, which appeared in print in March 1979, for 113 months, that is, about 9.5 years. The 300th book, Opus 300, was completed in 69 months, that is, in less than 6 years.

Asimov always looked up from his typewriter with great reluctance. And when he couldn’t reach the keys, he took a pen and paper and could easily compose a short story. Of all the movements, he preferred walking, and most of all, walking indoors: “I have a machine on which I stand for half an hour and make all the movements that imitate the movements of an athlete on cross-country skis, but all this happens in the warmth and comfort of my apartment.” . Going on such a ski run, Asimov could take a book with him: he read and reread Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, P.G. Wodehouse and Agatha Christie.

Isaac Asimov spent almost his entire life in his office, which he kept in extraordinary cleanliness and order, typing his texts on a typewriter - 90 words per minute, and was very reluctant to tear himself away from work, saying that he was “really happy only when working.” To questions about how it turns out to be so fruitful, Azimov answered: “I make no effort to write more poetically or in a high literary style. I just try to write clearly and luckily I have the ability to think clearly, so I write what I think and it comes out well straight away.”

Secrets of Isaac Asimov's mastery

Asimov created drafts on a typewriter, then typed the text on a computer and made corrections only once: “This is not because of high ego,” he explained: “I still have so much to write that if I sit too long on one book, I won’t have time to do everything.” . He worked on each book from start to finish, without resorting to the services of assistants.

Love for the chosen business and amazing performance, combined with an incredible interest in life in all aspects of its manifestation - these are the facts with which the writer explained his skill: “All I do is keep writing. I will soon be 65, and I feel like a child trying to tell Grandfather Time something. But I feel that if you keep writing, that skill will stay with you forever, just like people who keep themselves in good physical shape - at 65 they can do things that I couldn’t at 20.” . But, like any talented creative person, Asimov was tormented by the thought that he would never write better than what had already been done. Despite the fact that for many decades the publishing house did not reject a single work, the writer was haunted by a nightmare: “I dream of my publishers getting together and saying that Asimov has written himself off. Then they draw straws to choose who will bring me this bad news.". 

“How to become a truly prolific author? The very first requirement is that the person must have passion for the writing process. I mean; that he must have a passion for what happens between thinking about a book and finishing it.”

About airplanes, politics and religion

In his dislike of looking away from the typewriter, Asimov went to extremes. He could go to a mountain resort, giving in to his wife's demands, and spend all his days in his room, typing a new novel. But he traveled little, believing that if there is a chance of survival as a result of a train crash, then flying is an unfair undertaking, because if the plane crashes you will die. Ironically, it was he, Isaac Asimov, who wrote science fiction about battles between interplanetary ships, about travelers in time and hyperspace and in distant nebulae, who had never boarded a plane in his life.

Despite his enormous passion for work, his occupation did not become an obstacle to communicating with the world: Asimov was a very popular person, he had many friends, he was a loving father of his two children and remained very close to his parents until their death.

Asimov gave many interviews, was president of the American Humanist Association, and always claimed to be a humanist and rationalist, opposing prejudice and pseudoscience. Regarding religion, in a 1982 interview, when asked “Are you an atheist?” Isaac Asimov replied: “Undoubtedly, I am an atheist. I thought about this for a long time. I considered myself an atheist for many years, but one day I felt that it was intellectually irresponsible to talk about atheism because it assumed knowledge that in reality did not exist. It’s better to say not “atheist”, but humanist and agnostic. Therefore, I decided that I was both an emotional and sane creature. Emotionally I am an atheist. I don’t have proof that God doesn’t exist, but I also can’t prove that he does exist, so I don’t want to waste my time on that.”

However, in his autobiography, Isaac Asimov discussed religion: “If I were not an atheist, I would believe that God saves people by assessing their merits in life, and not their spoken words. I think that this God would prefer an honest and virtuous atheist, rather than a churchman broadcasting on TV, whose every word is “God, God, God,” and whose deed is dirt, dirt, dirt.”

Azimov did not hide his political views. He was a liberal who opposed US involvement in the Vietnam War. In television interviews he did not hide his opinion about the country's highest officials. For example, he called President Richard Nixon a “crook and a liar,” and about the heroes of the American counterculture of the 60s, he said that they were riding an emotional wave that would ultimately leave them on the shores of a “spiritual country without people” from where there would be return.

The writer passed away on April 6, 1992 at the age of 72; the official statement stated that the cause of death was heart and kidney failure. 10 years after his death, it became known from the published autobiographical book “It’s Been a Good Life” that the disease developed against the background of the AIDS virus, which was introduced into the writer’s blood in 1977 during heart surgery.

In addition to the most interesting science fiction novels and exciting popular science books, Isaac Asimov left earthlings his message about friendship, hatred and love: “History has reached a point where humanity is no longer allowed to be at odds. People on Earth must be friends. I have always tried to emphasize this in my works... I don’t think it is possible to make all people love each other, but I would like to destroy hatred between people. And I quite seriously believe that science fiction is one of the links that helps unite humanity. The problems that we raise in science fiction become pressing problems of all humanity... The science fiction writer, the reader of science fiction, science fiction itself serve humanity.”

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Isaac Asimov is a great science fiction writer whose fictional worlds have fascinated more than one generation of readers. This talented man has written more than five thousand books and stories, trying himself in different genres: from his favorite science fiction to detective stories and fantasy. However, few people know that in Asimov’s creative biography there was a place not only for literary activity, but also for science.

Childhood and youth

The future writer was born in Belarus, in a place called Petrovichi, not far from Mogilev, on January 2, 1920. Azimov’s parents, Yuda Aronovich and Khana-Rakhil Isaakovna, worked as millers. The boy was named after his late grandfather on his mother's side. Isaac himself would later claim that the Azimovs' surname was originally written as Ozimovs. Jewish roots were highly revered in Isaac's family. According to his own recollections, his parents did not speak Russian to him; Yiddish became the first language for Asimov, and short stories became his first literature.

In 1923, the Asimovs immigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, where they soon opened their own candy store. The future writer went to school at the age of five. According to the rules, children were accepted from six, but Isaac’s parents moved their son’s birth date to 1919 so that the boy would go to school a year earlier. In 1935, Azimov graduated from tenth grade and began studying at college, which, unfortunately, was closed a year later. After this, Isaac went to New York, where he entered Columbia University, choosing the Faculty of Chemistry.

In 1939, Azimov was awarded a bachelor's degree, and two years later the young man became a master of chemistry. Isaac immediately continued his studies in graduate school, but a year later he changed his plans and moved to Philadelphia, where he worked as a chemist in a military shipyard. Isaac served in the army in 1945 and 1946, after which he returned to New York and continued his studies. Azimov graduated from graduate school in 1948, but did not stop there and submitted documents for the so-called postdoctoral fellowship in the department of biochemistry. At the same time, Asimov began teaching at Boston University, where he eventually worked for many years.

Books

Isaac Asimov's passion for writing awoke early. The first attempt to write a book was at the age of 11: Isaac described the adventures of boys from a small town. At first, the creative enthusiasm did not last long, and Azimov abandoned the unfinished book. However, some time later I decided to give the first chapters to my friend to read. Imagine Isaac's surprise when he enthusiastically demanded a continuation. Perhaps at this moment, Asimov realized the power of the writing talent given to him, and began to take this gift more seriously.

Isaac Asimov's first story, “Captured by Vesta,” was published in 1939, but did not bring the writer much fame. But the next short work, entitled “The Coming of Night,” published in 1941, created a sensation among fans of the science fiction genre. It was a story about a planet where night comes once every 2049 years. In 1968, the story would even be called the best ever published in this genre. “The Coming of Night” will subsequently be repeatedly included in numerous anthologies and collections, and will also survive two attempts at film adaptation (unfortunately, unsuccessful). The writer himself will call this story a “watershed” in his literary career. It is interesting that “The Coming of Night” did not become Asimov’s favorite story in his own work.

After this, Isaac Asimov's stories will become long-awaited for fans. In May 1939, Isaac Asimov began writing the first robot story, entitled "Robbie." A year later, the story “Liar” appears - a story about a robot who could read people's thoughts. In this work, Asimov for the first time describes the so-called three laws of robotics. According to the writer, these laws were first formulated by the writer John Campbell, although he, in turn, insisted on Asimov’s authorship.

The laws are as follows:

1. A robot cannot cause harm to a person or, through inaction, allow a person to be harmed.
2. A robot must obey all orders given by a human unless those orders conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must take care of its own safety to the extent that this does not contradict the First or Second Laws.

At the same time, the word “robotics” appeared, which was later included in English dictionaries. It is interesting that, according to the tradition among science fiction writers, before Asimov, works about robots told about the uprising of artificial intelligence and riots directed against people. And after the release of Isaac Asimov’s first stories, robots in literature will begin to obey the same three laws, becoming more friendly.

In 1942, the writer began a series of science fiction novels, Foundation. Isaac Asimov originally intended the series to stand alone, but in 1980, Foundation would be combined with the robot stories he had already written. In another version of the Russian translation, this series will be called “Academy”.

Since 1958, Isaac Asimov will begin to pay more attention to the popular science genre, but in 1980 he will return to science fiction and continue the Foundation series. Perhaps the most notable stories of Isaac Asimov, in addition to “Foundation,” were the works “I Robot,” “The End of Eternity,” “They Shall Not Come,” “The Gods Themselves,” and “Empire.” The writer himself singled out the stories “The Last Question”, “The Bicentennial Man” and “The Ugly Boy”, considering them the most successful.

Personal life

In 1942, Isaac Asimov met his first true love. The fact that it took place on Valentine's Day also added romance to this acquaintance. The writer's chosen one was Gertrude Blugerman. The lovers got married. This marriage gave the writer a daughter, Robin Joan, and a son, David. In 1970, the couple divorced.

Isaac Asimov did not remain alone for long: in the same year, the writer became friends with Janet Opal Jeppson, who worked as a psychiatrist. Azimov met this woman in 1959. In 1973, the couple got married. Azimov has no children from this marriage.

Death

The writer passed away on April 6, 1992. Doctors will name the cause of Isaac Asimov’s death as heart and kidney failure, complicated by HIV infection, which the writer was accidentally infected with in 1983 during heart surgery.

The death of Isaac Asimov shocked fans, who only inherited the books of the great writer.

Bibliography

• 1949-1985 - “Detective Elijah Bailey and the robot Daniel Olivo”
• 1950 - “I, Robot”
• 1950 - “Pebble in the Sky”
• 1951 - “Stars Like Dust”
• 1951 - “Foundation”
• 1952 - “Cosmic Currents”
• 1955 - “The End of Eternity”
• 1957 - “The Naked Sun”
• 1958 - “Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn”
• 1966 - “Fantastic Voyage”
• 1972 - “The Gods Themselves”
• 1976 - “Bicentennial Man”

Last year we made a selection of ““, which of course included one of the best writers, whose hand wrote 467 books - Isaac Asimov. He worked in the genres of scientific, detective, and others. He became the progenitor of the term "robotics" and wrote a whole library of fiction and popular science books.

It's nice to know that the outstanding American science fiction writer Isaac Asimov has Belarusian roots. Isaac (Isaac) was born in 1920 on the territory of the modern Smolensk region, in the village of Petrovichi, formerly belonging to the Gomel province. 3 years after the birth of their son, the family decided to move to Brooklyn and open their own business there - a pastry shop. Isaac did not know Russian - his parents were Jews and spoke to their son only in Yiddish. Isaac's school years began a year earlier than expected - his mother changed his date of birth in the documents.

Today we know what came of it. Isaac Asimov enters "Big Three" best science fiction writers and was repeatedly awarded for his stories, novels and popular science articles with the highest awards in the field of literature - prizes Hugo, Nebula and Locus.

Meticulous Isaac kept a diary since childhood, recording even the smallest details of his life. Subsequently, entries from the diaries formed the basis of his autobiographies“The Memory Is Still Fresh”, “Unlost Joy” and “A. Asimov."

The topic of robots was especially interesting to the writer. Mechanical machines similar to people were found not only in works of the science fiction genre, but also in his other books.

Reading Asimov's books, one can derive a pattern: he created rules, found exceptions to them, or created a problem in order to then find its solution. Isaac Asimov formulated three basic laws of robotics, which formed the basis of the books not only of the author himself, but were also used by other science fiction writers and film screenwriters.

Science never receded into the background throughout the writer's life. After school, Isaac entered the prestigious Columbia University in New York, where he subsequently received a bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry. After completing graduate school, Asimov received a doctorate in biochemistry and became a teacher at Boston University.

His story about space travelers "Captured by Vesta", became the author's first published work. At that time, Isaac was only 19 years old. In 1958, Asimov wrote a sequel to the book, timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the first story. The new book is called "Anniversary".

Over time, his fantasy books began to contain more scientific facts and knowledge. A book was published during the war "The Coming of Night", it brought the author unprecedented popularity. Many years later, in 1968, this story was recognized by the Science Fiction Writers Association of America as the best work of science fiction of all time. For Isaac, this story became a turning point in his writing career.

Surprised by Azimov’s talent, his “colleague” Arthur Clarke wrote: “He has four electric machines and can type four books at once with two hands and two feet.” There is, perhaps, no other explanation for such a significant number of books written by the author.

The brilliant mind and dreaminess of Isaac Asimov were embodied in such masterpieces of literature as: the story "Bicentennial Man", book series "Base", story "Three Laws of Robotics", novel "The Gods Themselves", novel "The End of Eternity" and detective novel "Steel Caves".

Many of Isaac's works deserve film adaptation. Films based on his books: “I, Robot” (2004) starring Will Smith, “Bicentennial Man” (1999), where the main robot character was played by Robin Williams, mini-series Probe (1988) with Parker Stevenson and Ashley Crow .

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